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High-ranked Scottie Scheffler, defending champion Jon Rahm and a number of the world’s most interesting golfers arrive at Augusta Nationwide trying to make historical past in subsequent week’s 88th Masters.
Third-ranked Rahm, who jumped from the PGA Tour to Saudi-backed LIV Golf this season, might develop into solely the fourth back-to-back Inexperienced Jacket winner, becoming a member of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo.
“This could possibly be my second-ever title defence,” stated Rahm, who additionally gained the 2018 and 2019 Spanish Opens. “That will be fairly unimaginable.
“That will be a dream come true. Not many back-to-back champions and that may be very distinctive to have the ability to put my title to that record.”
World No 2 Rory McIlroy, a four-time Main winner searching for his first Main crown for the reason that 2014 PGA Championship, will make his tenth try to finish a profession Grand Slam with a Masters victory.
“Good golf at Augusta looks like boring golf and I feel that’s one thing that I’ve all the time struggled with as a result of that’s not my sport,” McIlroy stated. “It’s the most important check of self-discipline and the most important check of persistence of the yr for me.”
Scheffler, the 2022 Masters winner, arrives on a sizzling streak after wins final month on the Arnold Palmer Championship and The Gamers Championship and a runner-up effort on the Houston Open.
He would be part of Woods (2001, 2002) as the one gamers in Masters historical past to win the occasion twice whereas atop the world rankings.
“I attempt to not place an excessive amount of emphasis on outcomes good or dangerous,” Scheffler stated. “I feel you may take some positives within the momentum.”
And 15-time Main winner Woods, amongst 88 gamers within the subject listed on The Masters web site, might set a Masters document by making the lower for a twenty fourth consecutive time.
Woods shares the document lower streak with Gary Participant and Fred {Couples} however he withdrew after making final yr’s lower attributable to plantar fasciitis.
Woods (48) underwent ankle surgical procedure final April to restore accidents from a 2021 automotive crash. He final performed in February at Riviera, withdrawing after one spherical with sickness.
“All of us idolise Tiger,” Scheffler stated. “Watching what he did in particular moments through the years is loopy. I’ve discovered lots simply from being round him. We’re simply very grateful he’s nonetheless part of our sport.”
Rahm is amongst 13 LIV gamers in The Masters as merger talks proceed between the PGA Tour and LIV’s financiers, Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund.
“It’s a call I made and I’m snug with it,” Rahm stated. “I really feel like my sport is in actually good place. I like the place I’m at coming as much as The Masters.
“Thus far, it has been nice. Been taking part in good golf. However I’m positively trying ahead to becoming a member of with the remainder of the most effective golfers on the planet and teeing it up at The Masters with them.”
Rahm isn’t taking part in the identical PGA Tour occasions as Scheffler, however the Spaniard is aware of Scheffler is taking part in properly.
“I’m absolutely conscious of the place Scottie is,” Rahm stated. “He’s an important competitor. He’s anyone that whenever you’re underneath the gun and also you’ve obtained to get it achieved, he has been in a position to get it achieved.”
LIV has 13 gamers set to compete at The Masters, together with three of the previous 5 Main winners in Rahm, Australia’s Cameron Smith and 2023 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka.
An absence of world rating factors for LIV occasions limits gamers’ probabilities to qualify for Majors, prompting 2023 LIV season champion Talor Gooch to say McIlroy would want an “asterisk” by his profession slam ought to he win this yr’s Masters.
McIlroy, a top-10 Masters finisher in seven of the previous 10 years, stated Augusta Nationwide will do no matter it takes to make sure the occasion all the time has a world-class subject, noting a particular invitation for LIV’s Joaquin Niemann, a Chilean who gained final December’s Australian Open, shot a 59 to win LIV’s opener in Mexico and performed in Dubai and Oman.
“The asterisk – look, The Masters is an invitational and so they’ll invite whoever they assume warrants an invitation,” McIlroy stated.
“[Niemann] has been chasing his tail around the globe to play his method into Augusta or present sufficient type to warrant an invitation. I don’t know if the identical may be stated for Talor.”
© Agence France-Presse
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